Gov. Bev Perdue and state transportation officials on Monday touted a trio of road projects now under way in Cabarrus and northeastern Mecklenburg counties, saying the construction work will both smooth out traffic and make the area more attractive to businesses.

Crews are widening Interstate 85 in Concord, building the interchange of I-85 and I-485 in northeast Charlotte, and working on the final 5.7-mile leg of the I-485 outerbelt, also in northeast Charlotte. All the projects are expected to be completed by 2014.

N.C. transportation secretary Gene Conti said the work involves an investment of nearly a half-billion dollars - and, Perdue said, represents her administration's method of aggressively funding projects that otherwise would have been delayed.

Perdue said she directed transportation officials "to take the politics out of it," and "use the data to decide where we have to invest" in road work.

"For a long time, we've had conversations about road projects that we need to expedite in North Carolina," said Perdue, speaking from the Concord field office of Lane Construction, contractor for the I-85 widening.

"North Carolina had to make long-term investments in our infrastructure in order to grow. ... Highways and bridges are the circulation system that keeps commerce pumping throughout the state."

The widening project involves converting 6.8 miles of I-85 to eight lanes, from south of Exit 49 to Exit 55, and building new interchanges at Exit 52 and N.C. 73.

The construction efforts show innovation in construction, said Barry Moose, the Department of Transportation engineer for the Charlotte area.

Workers built a temporary work bridge over the interstate to get construction traffic into the median without interrupting traffic. The project is expected to be completed by mid to late 2013, Moose said.

The 485/85 interchange design, with a bridge that will pass over the interstate, will be able to handle traffic traveling at 60-plus miles an hour without conflict, Moose said.